Breaking news: Firestorm in Omaha
Multiple sources have told me that players from the USHL’s Omaha Lancers are planning to boycott games this weekend amid the team’s incomprehensible chaos.
At the heart of the controversy are reportedly budget cuts by the franchise, which have resulted in players not getting paid for sugary meals – something that’s standard across the top grassroots leagues. America. On top of that, the players were allegedly forced to pay for their own hockey sticks and tapes – again, this is the norm in the USHL.
This is important because the USHL is the NCAA’s top talent developer, which means their players cannot receive any money for joining a team. That’s what keeps the college USHLers eligible, compared to those going the big Canadian junior route, where the kids receive financial aid.
“All the devices are paid for here,” said an executive from another group. “USHL doesn’t cost dollars to play.”
On top of that, video services are said to have taken away players, depriving coaches of vital teaching tools. According to multiple sources, all of these cuts led to a standoff between coach/GM Chadd Cassidy and the team’s president and ownership.
What happens next is still a bit murky, but some sources suggest that Cassidy was sacked last week, only to be asked to stay on the bench because the Lancers no longer have enough coaches to work. on the bench. Oddly enough, Omaha have really been a good team on the ice this season, having won seven of their past 10 games – including their two games last weekend.
In a press release sent out this afternoon, the Lancers announced the hiring of an interim coach, Gary Graham, who joined the Indiana Jr. . The team also announced Cassidy had resigned to “pursue other opportunities.”
Cassidy received plenty of praise from the public following the challenge, including from Providence University coach Nate Leaman and parents of former players.
The Lancers have gone through a lot of staffing changes recently, and Cassidy herself is only in her first year with the organization. President David DeLuca served as captain of the Las Vegas Fire Department before joining the Lancers in 2017 as head of business development but was named team president less than a year later. He is apparently a longtime best friend of Koots owner DiCesare.
Amid the turmoil, family advisors are baffled by calls from players asking for advice and potentially trading to other USHL brands.
According to Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota, the coaches and other staff have now resigned in favor of their players and Cassidy. More on this story as it develops. Calls to Cassidy, Lancers and USHL have not yet been returned.
https://thehockeynews.com/news/breaking-news-firestorm-in-omaha Breaking news: Firestorm in Omaha
